Finding the Moon
by wrighter-chic13
Summary: In this story a girl gets a new twist on life when she goes to a boarding school and encounters some...Fantasy people. Jump into Asria's tale!


**Prologue-The Great Debate**

"Mom, but why not?" I was whining and I knew she hated it. It wasn't a very smart thing to do while trying to convince her of my maturity and responsibility. But what would anyone do? I looked around and sighed, she was really set against me this time. She almost always won, but not this time. I could see I was wearing her down and she was running out of ways to object to me going to the boarding school.

What bad could ever happen at an ancient boarding school, in a tiny village in England? Well my mom thought there was plenty to go wrong, especially since she couldn't be there to help me through my problems. "Like she really helps that much." I thought this while rolling my eyes as my mom started the whole "You're only fourteen," lecture and it was getting really old really fast.

"Asria are you listening? I might consider letting you go if you can prove to me you can be responsible for yourself…It is free. How long is your Christmas break again?"

"Mom…the Christmas break is seventeen days and I've already proved I can be responsible. I've kept my room immaculate for weeks (that was really hard for me), all my chores have been done, and my grades have been A's. For Christ's sake I've had a 4.0 G.P.A. for the last 2 quarters of the school year. Now its summer and I haven't gotten in trouble, texted on my phone, been sick, or had an argument with you over anything but this. Please! Please, mom I really really want to go!!!!!" I was trying to stay calm and keep my face…pleasant, but it was really frustrating when it seemed like she wasn't even listening.

"I'll think about it Asria. You have some good points, but I'm not sure if I want you living over seas without me. Okay? I will seriously consider this and I'll call and arrange a tour of the school for next week…Is that okay?" I wasn't completely satisfied but it would do for now.

I nodded at her and smiled silently inward knowing that my six month battle against her was finally going somewhere.

To perfect such a look,

But a handy brush and lots of time,

Was all it really took.

I lift my brush and observe my piece,

Looking for fault or flaw,

I am finally satisfied,

And from my work withdraw.

The portrait shows a happy figure,

I mask it on my face,

As for daily despair and sorrow,

It is hidden, without a trace.

**The Daydreams**

"Asria?" My mom whispered softly into my hair as I groaned at the thought of another argument. "Asria...I'm not going to ask that you stay again. I mean we're already here and there's not much I can do about that...I could've said no to this. But you just had a great argument against me and I love you I want to set you on your own two feet. Someday you're not going to have anyone to lean on and I want you to be prepared so I've decided that you can go for an entire year without me...Asria?"

I moved a little and slowly got up. I hugged my mom and whispered a thousand thank you's to her, I almost cried. She smiled and started picking up our stuff from around the hotel room and packing it. I watched her for a moment, then got up and started to get ready. I was so anxious to get on with the day and see my new school.

" Asria the train leaves at eleven o' clock remember and I don't want you to be late so make sure you have your cab there by ten. Okay?" I nodded and she smiled as she started to get ready. I went to the bed and started folding the few items she hadn't folded yet. I smiled, secretly congratulating myself on being able to finally convince my mom to let me do something I actually wanted to do.

"Mom? Thank you! I'm so excited about this...and you didn't have to let me go. You could've said no...So...thank you!" I ran and gave her a hug, which was a little dangerous seeing as she was using the curling iron. We laughed and I watched as she collected her bags and called a cab for the airport. I followed her downstairs and said an almost tearful goodbye.

Then that was it...I was alone in England ready to go to my new boarding school. I wouldn't see my mom again until our 5 day Halloween break, but that was okay. I was slowly becoming independent. I started day dreaming about a world of war and magic to take up the time. It made me wish I could leave reality and enter my fantasy.

I slowly got up and continued collecting my things and adding them to the trunk of the taxi. The driver (a very old man) had offered to help me with my luggage but I had told him I could manage. My stuff barely fit but I managed to cram it all in. How could I ever take everything I wanted for a year…well not an entire year.

I got into the cab and told the driver to take me to the train station. He nodded and merged with the northbound traffic. I still hadn't gotten over the fact that you drove on opposite sides of the road in England, so the ride was a little confusing. I started thinking of how my life would be once I was at school. I was looking forward to this, in an almost dreamy state. So I have a problem with daydreaming! I shook my head and tried to clear my head. We pulled up to the train station and I grabbed a cart and loaded up my luggage. I paid and thanked the cab driver for his services and told him to keep up the good work. I looked around the train station as the cab pulled out of the parking lot, it was...well cool. I had worried that England wouldn't live up to my expectations but so far it had surpassed it. It was almost 10:30 and I was anxious to get where I needed to be.

Walking around the station wasn't helping me much, I couldn't find the platform I needed and I really didn't want to ask one of the ( I'm not sure what there called) people who help with luggage and such at each platform. "I was really bad at talking to strangers and the people here definitely had no clue who I was, I think that counts as a stranger. Well no sense wandering around the station forever." I was kind of debating with myself when an elderly lady approached me, "Are you for ACA?"

"What? Umm...yeah do you know where the train platform is?"

The lady smiled and nodded, "Yes dear it is follow me." We went around the ticket office and down a heavily crowded corridor. I kept looking around soaking up the entire scene. We followed the corridor until it came to a fork, we took the left and continued out some glass doors to a private platform.

" I don't know if I'll be able to remember how to get here." I looked over at the lady and laughed nervously. To my shock she was gone! I looked around wildly around wildly but she had completely disappeared. "Well that's one way to start a day!" I muttered to myself as I looked around.

Well I was definitely where I needed to be, there was the train bound for my new home. Asriannes Conduct Academy, that's what it was called but it wasn't a conduct school anymore. I sighed and looked up at the train, already tired by the thought of another trip.

The train had a huge midnight blue engine, and the cars following were a slightly darker or lighter (depending on the age). It was magnificent even though the paint was peeling in places and it's an old coal burning one. The families flooded around me, mothers saying tearful goodbyes, sons and daughters rolling their eyes and saying they'd see them in a month. Some of it was almost comical really. I looked at some of the people and thought I recognized someone.

I walked closer to the person, trying to remember where I'd seen him before. The boy looked up at me and smiled.

"First time here?" He asked with a playful tone that invited me to speak. I looked at him and gave a faint smile.

"Yeah...it took awhile to find this place. An little old lady helped...and now she seemed to have disappeared. So are you here with your parents?" I couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to a complete stranger. Whatever happened to me being shy?

"A little old lady huh? I think she must be into helping people...was she carrying a bright purple bag?" I was staring at him, I knew I was but I just knew I knew him from somewhere. Okay focus...purple bag?

"Oh yeah! Actually now that you mention it she did...and she called me dear all the time!" He chuckled and shook his head.

"I think her name is Elena. She has to help me find this place every year. I'm so bad at remembering things!" He laughed at himself and motioned for me to follow him onto the train.

"So what about you parents...Uhh...what's your name?" He laughed at me again (he had a nice laugh).

"I'm an orphan and my name is Ezra."

"Ezra..." I tried the name, loving the feel of it over my lips. "You're an orphan huh? Sorry...I lost my dad so I kinda know what you do. Did you ever know them or were they dead when...well..." He was still smiling and I still couldn't believe we were talking like we had known each other for years...well sort of.

" I was found in the street alone and I couldn't remember anything. They fingerprinted me and found that my parents had died in a car crash, and they had assumed me dead as well." He looked away from me for a moment. "Sorry...I didn't mean to unload my life history on you." He smiled and helped me lift my stuff into the train.

"Umm...is there any place to sit?" I looked around slowly realizing how packed the train really was. "Seriously where are we going to sit?" I blushed realizing I had just figured we'd be sitting together. It was kind of embarrassing but Ezra didn't seem to notice.

"Uhhh...well...we could sit...over there in the back! There's a couple of seats!" He was already racing towards them as he finished the sentence. I laughed and hauled me and my stuff after him. As I passed I could already here people calling me "The American", I rolled my eyes and ignored them. I was used to that kind of stuff, at my old school I had been called, "Book Worm", "Wall flower", or I had been totally ignored which suited me just fine.

It wasn't that I wasn't pretty or nice, it was that I wasn't in to socializing. I'd prefer a good book to a person any day. Well almost any day. I looked at Ezra and realized I actually preferred him to some of my favorite books, some! Well at least I kind of know him.

I finally made it to the seats, huffing and panting from carrying all of my stuff. I lugged all of it to the storage compartment and sat down. I looked across from me and saw Ezra pretending to be asleep.

"Oh...what? Oh...you...You're finally here?" He yawned and stretched. "Hey...you know I told you my life's story and you haven't even told me your name...so what is your name young miss?" He pretended to take off a hat and bow, I giggled and curtsied.

"Well my kind sir, my name happens to be Asria...Okay can we drop the act now?" I was having fun and all but I really wanted to read. This might sound stupid but I get as addicted to a book as druggies to meth (no offense).

"My dear lady...I'm just gonna call you Asria...K?" I nodded and he sat down. I turned to my stuff and grabbed the latest book from my favorite series. I opened it to page 127 and settled in for a good long read. Unfortunately I was interrupted almost immediately and I sighed.

"Asria...you like Jamia? I love her books...are you reading book nine? I already read it. Umm...sorry I talk a lot and I better shut up before I give away the rest of the book." He looked a bit flushed and he was turning red around the collar.

"Its okay Ezra...this is my second time reading this, I reread things a lot to make sure I got all of it. So you like Jamia? I can't believe a guy likes what she writes...I mean that about fifty percent of the book is romance...the rest is just fantasy. You really like it?" He was staring at me like I was some disease and then he snapped back into reality.

"Umm...you talk fast...but yeah I like her. I don't mind the romance but I'm reading for the thrill of the fantasy." He immediately went up on my top 5 list, actually so far he was my top five list. I shook my head and we settled into a comfortable silence. The train had finally started to pull out then and everything started to shake and rattle. I glanced outside and smiled, my trip had really begun. I looked at Ezra and decided to include him in my ongoing daydream.

This is kind of dumb but I fell asleep...yup. In the dream I had appeared at the edge of a lake. I could sea a ship across from me bobbing in a river connecting the lake to the sea. I felt a sense of terror and turned to run, I ran into the forest behind me. All I could was run and then I finally came to a castle...well the construction site of a castle. I looked around and saw a woman...a woman that looked like me. I saw a man with dark brown hair and he seemed very familiar to me. I heard a shout and looked behind me...was that...EZRA!?! He ran past me, but took no notice. He ran to the dark haired man and said something, immediately they called together an army and set off towards the direction of the ship.

I awoke with Ezra standing over me, "Hey...are you okay? You were talking in your sleep...were you dreaming about me?" He started teasing me about saying things like, "Oh Ezra I love you, will you kiss me?", and that whole fifth grade thing. The whole time I just rolled my eyes and told (sarcastically) that I loved him so much.

I was really just thinking about the dream. Well I had definitely included Ezra in it, but I really had no idea what was going on. I kind of figured that the ship must have been an enemy and that Ezra and the dark haired man must've been army commanders...but who was the woman and why were they fighting the ship? I was so confused...but it was just a dream so I suppose it didn't have to make sense.

I had slept almost an hour and I was beginning to get hungry. "Ezra? Is there a place to buy food here?" It was kind of pathetic how I had to rely on an almost-stranger for everything. Well I guess he's not a stranger any more!

"Yeah...go to the front of the train and they have a food/gift shop thing. They sell hamburgers and everything! Can you manage or do you want me to come with?" As much as I was tempted by his offer I said no and started towards the front of the train. The people saw me and started the whole "American" bit again, and then it hit me. Ezra wasn't European either...not unless he could completely hide an accent...was he American also? I decided to ask him when I got back.

Gall how long is this stupid train!?! I was getting sick of walking when I finally came to the food/gift shop. It was called, "Trusty's Train track Cafe", not much of a cafe. I looked at the menu and decided on a Sub sandwich, turkey, cheese, tomato, and mayo. I got through the line and ordered it, they had brownies so I bought two. One for me and one for Ezra...or maybe two for me! I paid for the food and started back to my seat. I paid for the food and started back to my seat. I glanced around (again) and noticed how strange the train really was.

Now that I was not looking where I was going I smacked into someone. Of course it had to be Ezra, how embarrassing! "I'm sorry." I mumbled while trying to pick up everything (the sandwich was wrapped so it didn't get hurt). Then I noticed that the brownies were missing, I slowly looked up and winced at the sight of the brownies...all over Ezra.

He was staring at me and then he smiled. He stuck his finger in the brownies goop (now all over his shirt) and licked it off his fingers. "I wanted a brownie...but not on me!" He started to laugh and I could feel the color rising into my cheeks. I looked down at my feet trying to mutter quick apologies. I heard someone else laugh and looked up.

A girl in the seat to my right was laughing and had started gossiping about how clumsy I was. "Hey American! Are you always that clumsy? Or did you just figure out how to walk?" I shook my head...her last sentence didn't really make sense and I was too embarrassed to come up with a come back.

"It was my fault! I was trying to catch up to her and...SMACK! I just wasn't watching where I was going...By the way; you suck at trying to embarrass people." Ezra had taken my defense and he was talking like it had all been his fault! I looked at him, "My night in shining armor!" I thought and smiled secretly to myself.

We walked slowly back to our seats, I was still a bit embarrassed so I tried to avoid his gaze. We finally made it back and closed the door behind us (the seats were enclosed). I sat down and immediately opened my sandwich and stuffed my mouth. He looked over and smiled at me, "Asria...Umm...Don't be freaked over the brownies! It's really not a big deal! Believe me I'm washable." He grinned at me and I couldn't help but smile back. Then, focused back on my sandwich, I tried to open and read my book to take up some time.

I glanced over at Ezra again, he was opening his suitcase now, and I smiled to myself. He was cool. There was no other way to explain it...He was hot, funny, and smart! OOH! He was smart! That's a definite plus. I glanced back at him again, and was shocked to see he was switching shirts...in front of me! Currently he had no shirt on and I could see he was very muscled. He looked back at me and I looked away quickly...but not quickly enough he had seen me looking, I just knew it! I went back to my book and tried to ignore him for a little bit.

My mind however decided to think..."Didn't he have any friends? He had definitely been here before...he said so when we talked about the old lady. So why isn't he hanging out with someone other than me?"

"Uh...Asria...Asria? Earth to Asria!!!!!" I jumped and looked up; I had sunk it to my own thoughts and was totally oblivious to the rest of the world. "Asria, are you okay? You were zoning out or something...anyways these seats flip out into beds if you want...It might make it more comfortable to read." I looked at him...Exactly how long was this train ride? I nodded okay at him and sighed...I hadn't checked to see how long the train ride was...and I was beginning to think it might be an overnight trip.

"Ezra how much longer is this trip going to last?" I was starting to look through the paperwork trying to find some sort of schedule.

"Asria we'll be there at midnight. Don't freak...K?" He was smiling at me; he had put out his bed and was reading some mystery book. He went back to reading and then said, "Oh...you might want to change into your school stuff though...there's a big bathroom at the very back of the train. I nodded and started to take out my plaid skirt, white tee-shirt, and weird little navy blue jacket. I opened the door and walked as quickly as possible to the back of the train. It took me a second to find the bathroom but I found it and changed as quickly as possible.

On the way back I saw the girl who tried to make fun of me earlier, but she wouldn't even look at me. Fine...that meant there would be less fighting. I slid the door to our compartment open and found Ezra going through some of my stuff. "Excuse me! That happens to be my book bag!" I crossed the room quickly and yanked it out of his hands. How could he? What if I had some feminine objects in there? I don't. But what if I did? He looked at me and gave a weak smile.

"Asria...I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if I could find out more about you. You were gone...and I got bored so yeah..."

15


End file.
